Tuesday the presidential panel investigating the Gulf of Mexico oil spill released its final report, analyzing problems that led to the incident and making recommendations for new regulations to prevent a similar disaster. The National Research Council, National Academy of Engineering, and the Institute of Medicine have produced a number of reports that discuss causes of the oil spill and its effects on human health.
Interim Report on Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Blowout and Ways to Prevent Such Events examines the probable causes of the Deepwater Horizon explosion, fire, and oil spill and identifies measures for preventing similar harm in the future. The book addresses the performance of technologies and practices involved in the probable causes of the Macondo well blowout and explosion on the Deepwater Horizon. It also explores industry best practices and standards, and identifies and recommends available technologies and measures that can ensure a higher level of safety in deepwater exploratory drilling and well completion.
Assessing the Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill on Human Health: A Summary of the June 2010 Workshop identifies populations at increased risks for adverse health effects and explores effective communication strategies to convey health information to these populations. The book also discusses the need for appropriate surveillance systems to monitor the spill’s potential short- and long-term health effects on communities and individuals.
These books and others that focus on the disaster and environmental valuation in general serve as a resource to guide policy and decision making.
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Interim Report on Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Rig Blowout and Ways to Prevent Such Events
The National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council have released the interim report of the Committee on the Analysis of Causes of the Deepwater Horizon Explosion, Fire, and Oil Spill to Identify Measures to Prevent Similar Accidents in the… |
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Assessing the Effects of the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill on Human Health: A Summary of the June 2010 Workshop
From the origin of the leak, to the amount of oil released into the environment, to the spill’s duration, the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill poses unique challenges to human health. The risks associated with extensive, prolonged use of dispersants, with oil… |
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Review of the Proposal for the Gulf Long-Term Follow-Up Study: Highlights from the September 2010 Workshop: Workshop Report
The Gulf of Mexico oil spill is unprecedented not only in its size but also in the use of chemical dispersants and controlled burns to remove the oil. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) is designing a study to investigate the… |
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Research Priorities for Assessing Health Effects from the Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill: A Letter Report
It is as yet uncertain how the Gulf of Mexico oil spill will affect the health of clean-up workers and volunteers, residents, and visitors in the Gulf. The IOM recommends that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focus on researching psychological… |
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Risk of Vessel Accidents and Spills in the Aleutian Islands: Designing a Comprehensive Risk Assessment – Special Report 293
TRB Special Report 293, Risk of Vessel Accidents and Spills in the Aleutian Islands: Designing a Comprehensive Risk Assessment, provides guidance for a comprehensive risk assessment of vessel accidents and spills in the Aleutian Islands. The report… |
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Public Participation in Environmental Assessment and Decision Making
Federal agencies have taken steps to include the public in a wide range of environmental decisions. Although some form of public participation is often required by law, agencies usually have broad discretion about the extent of that involvement. Approaches vary… |
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A Review of the Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy
Ocean research offers countless benefits, from improving fisheries management to discovering new drugs to enabling early detection of tsunamis and hurricanes. At the request of the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST), the National Research… |
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Improving Disaster Management: The Role of IT in Mitigation, Preparedness, Response, and Recovery
Information technology (IT) has the potential to play a critical role in managing natural and human made disasters. Damage to communications infrastructure, along with other communications problems exacerbated the difficulties in carrying out response and… |
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Drawing Louisiana’s New Map: Addressing Land Loss in Coastal Louisiana
During the past 50 years, coastal Louisiana has suffered catastrophic land loss due to both natural and human causes. This loss has increased storm vulnerability and amplified risks to lives, property, and economies–a fact underscored by Hurricanes Katrina… |
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Oil Spill Dispersants: Efficacy and Effects
Approximately 3 million gallons of oil or refined petroleum products are spilled into U.S. waters every year. Oil dispersants (chemical agents such as surfactants, solvents, and other compounds) are used to reduce the effect of oil spills by changing… |
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Valuing Ecosystem Services: Toward Better Environmental Decision-Making
Nutrient recycling, habitat for plants and animals, flood control, and water supply are among the many beneficial services provided by aquatic ecosystems. In making decisions about human activities, such as draining a wetland for a housing development, it is… |
